I recently received my RE262s and I wont say I am totally impressed with them. Having upgraded from shure E3Cs, the RE262s actually sound very very similar to the E3Cs.

I dont know why this is, but maybe the double flanges dont suit me. They dont give me a good seal and I always find myself adjusting the earphones frequently, which hinders my music listening experience. Anyone knows from where I can get olive foam tips for the RE262s?

Well, you just buy the Shure tips online. They magically arrive at your door. You decore them, and toss them on.

I have never really liked any of the tips that come with the HifiMan stuff. I really liked the bi-flange tips of the MEElectronic sets, like the M9 and such. Everyone's ears are different though, so the size and shape is hit or miss. It is often best to find certain products that fit your ears well and stick with them.

I don't know what kind of break in the RE262 needs. When I got my pair, they were already broken in by the previous owner. From a general use standpoint, the RE262 is a very good earphone. The driver used is remarkably good, however, the overall presentation is hard to appreciate without good comparisons to really show you why it's good. The RE262 is a mid-centric earphone. The coloration doesn't suit everyone, but I do feel it is a likeable sound signature, although it may take a little bit of time to grow on your at first. Having used a lot of high end earphones myself, I will tell you straight out that the RE262 in plain terms of sound quality is extremely good. My only personal gripe was the lack of overall balance of the mid-centric presentation, but that really is a personal preference thing. Some folks seek that. Some do not.

Well, I've been using the Shure E3Cs for about 3 years now. They are a good pair of cans no doubt. I read raving reviews of RE262 on this site, plus its price, sold it to me. I was expecting reaching the next level, sonically, than the Shures I owned.

Well, I did give them a burn in of 20+ hours with high volume music.

The RE262s in the end, didnt impress me much. It was definitely not the 'next level sound.' My basic summarization of the RE262 would be that it is a very slightly minor upgrade to Shure E3C. Something like a Shure E3C Version 1.2.

The sound stage is strikingly exactly the same as the E3Cs. The bass does feel a little more natural, but thats just it. The vocals sound better in the E3C. Very lush and you can always spot the vocalist grasping for breath, which is the same vibe the RE262s give, albiet not a better one. High hats and cymbals are definitely better on the Shures. IMHO, the excel in this region.

I'm getting really shoddy vibes about Head-Direct HiFiMan. I wont say they make 'solid' products which a long lasting sonic experience that can grow into you.

Asking you personal opinion: Do you use the Shure olives with the RE262s? If so, does it change/improve the music listening experience? Also, have you tried the RE262 Foam Reposition mod?

The RE262 is more about dynamics and detail, but they are very short in decay which does limit how much body and texture they can portray. The RE262 does some things well and some things not so well. What it does well it does amazingly well.like dynamic range and level of detail. The things it doesn't do so well, you'll have to ask yourself if you care or can overlook the shortcomings. As was said, a note that is too short/thin can come across hollow/ghostly. As well, the thin note also means bass notes don't carry a lot of heft. From a frequency response point of view, bass isn't rolled off. From a dynamics point of view, bass is quite presented volume wise, However, the short decay and subsequently thin note means the bass lacks a lot of heft and presence. It ends up sounding a good bit light in bass even though the sensitivity is there. The treble too is laid back. It's very mild, even sweet. The foam in the nozzle is of little help for the top end. Removing the foam can help bring forward a little more of the highs, but it's still a very mild and sweet top end that simple doesn't carry the raw energy and bite that some other earphones offer. The overall presentation is midranged focused and more delicate than robust.

I will offer a word of warning. As earphones get better and better, there comes a point that you must upgrade the source device and material quality to really show what the product can offer. In short a crappy playing device or low quality audio is a surefire way to may a highly capable device sound oh so normal or in some cases pretty crappy. It's just something to think about when searching for the next better thing. At some point the products will get good enough to start showing through the limitations in the other parts of the system. Is the RE262 capable of this? Yes. Is it a big deal? Not so much. The majority of the overall sound will always stay the same. The hardware won't fix the sound signature, the lack of body, etc.. It's simply that everything just gets a little bit better as the hardware improves. Level of detail goes up, clarity goes up, the sound stage is just a little more coherent, etc., etc. This is the last 10% kind of thing. The other 90% stays the same.

the reviews where talking of "wonderful vocals (king of voice), life-like", which i personally can't find here (i even got the opposite).

although from the start, i had wrong expectations (in-you-face vocals, deep bass, crystal clear instruments....), which lead to even more disappointment. But for me the detail is not overwhelming and mids not very forward.

the reviews where talking of "wonderful vocals (king of voice), life-like", which i personally can't find here (i even got the opposite).

although from the start, i had wrong expectations (in-you-face vocals, deep bass, crystal clear instruments....), which lead to even more disappointment. But for me the detail is not overwhelming and mids not very forward.

But anyway, what tips do you recommend?

I thought of the Comply T400

You think the Comply T400s can fit the RE262s?

I did manage to decore my Shure tips and but they're too loose to fit on the RE262. When I take out the earphone from my ear the foam tip gets stuck inside my ear!

the reviews where talking of "wonderful vocals (king of voice), life-like", which i personally can't find here (i even got the opposite).

although from the start, i had wrong expectations (in-you-face vocals, deep bass, crystal clear instruments....), which lead to even more disappointment. But for me the detail is not overwhelming and mids not very forward.

But anyway, what tips do you recommend?

I thought of the Comply T400

Yes, expectations are almost never met. You sort of have to look at a product at face value without any personal bias, and that's hard to do because we all have preferences. Having owned a lot of high end earphones personally, I can at least define a basic scale of things and how the RE262 stacks up within that scale. I can say that something like dynamic range is top notch for the RE262. Few other earphones really have the limitless breadth of volume and range of volume that the RE262 has. There are a few other very dynamic earphones out there but the list is small. Another thing the RE262 does really very well is the very high level of clarity and detail. It does show through a lot more subtle bits of information than most earphones, even fast BA based earphones have a hard time competing. The actual level of detail and how much the RE262 shows isn't impressive on its own though. It's more so appreciated when compared to a slew of other very good earphones that just can't match the amount of details shown through. It's also hard to appreciate without critical listening. A casual listener may not care as much, and that's ok. There are certain things that people automatically expect many times, certain things that the RE262 does not do well. This is mainly the bass and treble. People often want strong bass, thick, powerful, really driving. the RE262 simply does not do that. People often want crisp, clear, and shimmering highs, and again the RE262 does not do that. People are often used to a thick, luscious note, and again the RE262 does not do that.

The RE262 earphone, like numerous others, is more about the subtleties than wow factor. There are earphones out there that will simply wow you right from the start. They come out with monstrous bass, super high clarity, aggressive speed, or something that makes you take serious notice right away. These kinds of products get a lot of initial praise, and can often become the flavor of the month. On a grand scale, they may not even be all that good, but they just have a unique sound, a certain pizzazz to them that makes you take notice. Meanwhile, other earphones take a more solitary road. They simply perform really well but aren't particularly flashy. These kinds of earphones often come across good but don't amaze. They are often more appreciated when compared against other products. Compare it against one, two, ten other great products, and little details show through that define how good or how poor an earphone really is in various ways. The RE262 is one that you do not really appreciate without comparison. Another is the Triple.Fi 10. What the RE262 offers is not blatant. As well, what it is short on is stuff that people tend to look for which does hinder the initial taking of the product. I am with many people in that the RE262 could be better. I think the coloration that it does have is likeable but a shortcoming for the masses who are used to and seek something very different. It suits people who seek the sound signature and will put off those who don't, and that is unfortunate. A product like the RE252 is more balanced and will suit a broader spectrum of people than the RE262, although I do feel that the actual driver used in the RE262 is superior to the already very good RE252 driver. It's just that the RE252 driver is implemented better, as in a more balanced and even way.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sa_ill

@mvw2: How do I decore the Shure tips? The inner plastic tube just isnt coming off.

A knife works. Really the foam is glued to the plastic nozzle. You basically scrap it away from the plastic. You can use a knife, finger nail, whatever works for you. You don't have to be terribly gentle as the foam is actually quite durable (versus Comply for example) and is closer to a rubber than a foam in toughness.

Been giving the RE262s a good listen for these past couple of days, and yes the sound does seem to opening up. I wouldn't say that the highs are crisp and the vocals are lush and the bass is deep, but I'll definitely say that they do have a good dynamic range.

This is a good driver no doubt, but it meant for a subtle leaning listening experience. One problem I find with this driver is instrument separation. For example, say there is a bass line and a mid guitar riff going on, and the vocalists starts singing. Now, the problem with the RE262s is, that once the vocalist starts singing, the bass line and guitar riffs become 'muffled.' Thus it doesnt separate instruments to their full potential.

By the way, I have placed my order for the Comply T400. The decored Shures are fitting the RE262s loosely and are not suitable for outdoor purposes.

Also, I have a question.

I really cant understand the point of these cables in the packaging. As far as I see it, there are 3 cables: